Stallions score three in second to advance
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South senior Edgar Arvizu controls the ball away from a Lemoore defender during Wednesday’s win.
The Madera South Stallions boys soccer team played through a rough first half, but cleaned things up in the second half for a 4-0 victory in the first round of the Div. III Central Section playoffs.
The fifth-seeded Stallions scored a goal midway through the first half and added three more in the second half for a 4-0 victory over No. 12 Lemoore on Wednesday in Stallions Stadium.
The Stallions travel to Tulare on Friday to face Mission Oak in the quarterfinals.
Raul Arzola, Daniel De Jesus, Jonathan Molina and Brian Ocegueda scored goals to lead Madera south.
“We wanted to play good soccer,” head coach Enrique Garcia said. “The first half, we played horrible soccer, soccer we played earlier in the year. We discussed some stuff at the half. Maybe it was the nerves. It was a lot of the boys’ first playoff game. They stepped up to the challenge in the second half. After that first goal, they continued to move the ball well and get great opportunities to get the W.”
In the 26th minute, Edgar Arvizu found Arzola on a throw-in and Arzola sent a rocket into the back of the net for the goal.
“Edgar saw the play developing and threw the ball in quickly,” Garcia said. “Raul created enough space to get a good shot off against a great keeper.
“That goal settled the team down. We were passing pretty bad and not being able to create. We got a great through ball down the line that created the opportunity.”
The Stallions settled down and played much better in the second half.
“The other goals were well played, transitioning from the back to the wide and to the middle,” Garcia said.
Arzola set up De Jesus for the second goal.
“Arzola drew the players in and saw David on the right, wide open and sent a pass to him for an easy goal” Garcia said.
Freshman Molina got the ball out wide, touched the ball in and put a shot past the keeper for the third goal.
“He left the keeper standing and hit the back post,” Garcia said.
With the game already in hand, the Stallions added another goal off the corner kick.
“We got the ball off the back post and Brian Ocegueda got a great volley to put the ball into the back of the net.”
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